Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb canonner

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The English translation of the French verb canonner is to bombard or to shell. It is pronounced “kah-noh-nay.”

The word canonner comes from the Old French word canoigne, which means “rampart” or “fortified wall.” This evolved from the Latin word canonicus, which referred to a member of a religious order responsible for maintaining the walls and defenses of a monastery. Over time, the word came to mean “to bombard” or “to shoot with cannons.”

In everyday French, canonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense to express the idea of possibility or hypothetical action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage:

  1. Il était temps que nous canonner ions la ville avant que l’ennemi n’arrive. (It was time for us to bombard the city before the enemy arrived.)

  2. Je craignais que les soldats ne canonner ent notre position. (I feared that the soldiers would bombard our position.)

  3. Il aurait été préférable que vous ne canonner iez pas le château sans autorisation. (It would have been better if you hadn’t bombarded the castle without permission.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Imparfait form of canonner (canonnerions, canonneraient) is used to express a hypothetical action in the past. It is often preceded by a conjunction such as “avant que” (before), “que” (that), or “sans que” (without) to indicate the condition or possibility of the action. The verb can also be conjugated in the present tense to express a current or future hypothetical action.

Overall, canonner is a versatile verb that can be used in various tenses and moods to express the idea of bombardment or shelling in different contexts.

Table of the Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of canonner

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je canonâsse Si j’étais un soldat, je canonâsse les ennemis. If I were a soldier, I would bombard the enemies.
tu canonâsses Si tu avais un canon, tu canonâsses avec joie. If you had a cannon, you would bombard with joy.
il canonât Il serait impressionné si il canonât à distance. He would be impressed if he bombarded from a distance.
elle canonât Elle serait terrifiée si elle canonât sans entraînement. She would be terrified if she bombarded without training.
on canonât Si on canonât trop, on risquerait de blesser des innocents. If one bombarded too much, one would risk hurting innocent people.
nous canonassions Si nous canonassions ensemble, nous serions plus efficaces. If we bombarded together, we would be more effective.
vous canonassiez Si vous canonassiez plus haut, vous toucheriez plus facilement. If you bombarded higher, you would hit more easily.
ils canonassent S’ils canonassent plus souvent, ils gagneraient davantage. If they bombarded more often, they would win more.
elles canonassent Si elles canonassent plus fort, elles détruirait tout. If they bombarded louder, they would destroy everything.

Other Conjugations for Canonner.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner (this article)

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb canonner

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Canonner – About the French Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Imparfait, also known as the imperfect subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions, states, or conditions that are uncertain, subjective, or hypothetical in the past. It is used in a variety of situations, including wishes, doubts, emotions, and polite requests, and often occurs in dependent clauses following certain expressions and conjunctions.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Imparfait, you typically start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the verb in the imparfait (imperfect) tense. Then, you remove the -ent ending and add the appropriate endings:

– For regular -er verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.
– For regular -ir and -re verbs: je -sse, tu -sses, il/elle/on -t, nous -ssions, vous -ssiez, ils/elles -ssent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty: The Subjonctif Imparfait is used to express doubt or uncertainty about something that happened in the past.

Example: Il doutait qu’elle vînt à la fête. (He doubted that she came to the party.)

2. Wishes and Desires: It is used to express wishes or desires in the past.

Example: J’aurais aimé que tu fusses là. (I would have liked you to be there.)

3. Hypothetical Scenarios: The Subjonctif Imparfait is employed in hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: Si j’eusse su, j’aurais agi différemment. (If I had known, I would have acted differently.)
4. Polite Requests and Suggestions: It is used to make polite requests and suggestions in a formal or polite tone.

Example: Il souhaitait que vous vinssiez lui rendre visite. (He wished that you would come to visit him.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Subjonctif Présent

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used in dependent clauses with the Subjonctif Présent in the main clause, especially in complex sentences.

Example: Il faut que tu manges bien pour que tu aies de l’énergie. (You need to eat well so that you have energy.)

Indicatif Passé Composé

The Subjonctif Imparfait can be used alongside the Indicatif Passé Composé to indicate a contrast between a factual event and a hypothetical one.

Example: Il est parti avant que tu ne fusses arrivé. (He left before you arrived.)

Conditional

The Subjonctif Imparfait is often used with the Conditional to express unreal or hypothetical situations in the past.

Example: J’aurais pu le faire si j’eusse eu plus de temps. (I could have done it if I had had more time.)

Conditional Perfect

It can also be used with the Conditional Perfect to express unreal or hypothetical past events that would have occurred before other past events.

Example: J’aurais su s’il eût partagé l’information. (I would have known if he had shared the information.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Imparfait is a relatively complex tense, and its usage depends on the context and the verbs involved. It is essential to practice and become familiar with common expressions and contexts where this tense is appropriate to use it effectively in everyday French communication.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb canonner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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